mea culpa: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Literary, Journalistic
Quick answer
What does “mea culpa” mean?
A formal, often public, admission of personal fault or error.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A formal, often public, admission of personal fault or error.
A direct acknowledgment of one's own mistake, responsibility, or guilt. It implies a personal, moral failure rather than a simple error, often used to express remorse.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both British and American English use the term identically. Slightly more prevalent in formal American journalistic and political contexts.
Connotations
In both varieties, carries connotations of formality, gravitas, and sometimes over-the-top or insincere apology.
Frequency
Low frequency in everyday speech in both regions. More common in written English.
Grammar
How to Use “mea culpa” in a Sentence
issue/offer/deliver + a + (adj) + mea culpa + for + N/V-ingVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “mea culpa” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- He issued a mea-culpa statement after the controversial report.
- The interview had a mea-culpa tone.
American English
- The senator's mea-culpa press conference was widely watched.
- He delivered a mea-culpa speech to the committee.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare; used in official statements following corporate scandals or major PR crises.
Academic
Used in historical, theological, or literary analysis discussing confession, sin, or responsibility.
Everyday
Very rare; used humorously or ironically for minor mistakes ('Well, that was my mea culpa for burning the toast').
Technical
Not applicable.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “mea culpa”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “mea culpa”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “mea culpa”
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'He mea culpaed' is incorrect).
- Mispronouncing 'culpa' as /ˈkʌl.pə/ instead of /ˈkʊl.pə/.
- Spelling as 'mea culpa' without italics/quotes is acceptable in modern usage, but traditionally italicized.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is almost exclusively used as a noun (e.g., 'issue a mea culpa') or attributively as an adjective (e.g., 'a mea-culpa speech'). Using it as a verb is non-standard.
It is traditionally italicized as a foreign phrase, but in modern English, especially in journalism, it is often seen in standard roman type due to its frequent usage.
Only ironically or humorously. Its inherent formality makes it sound overly dramatic for trivial errors.
Literally, 'through my fault'. It is part of a longer Latin confession of sin used in Christian liturgy.
A formal, often public, admission of personal fault or error.
Mea culpa is usually formal, literary, journalistic in register.
Mea culpa: in British English it is pronounced /ˌmeɪ.ə ˈkʊl.pə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌmeɪ.ə ˈkʊl.pə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “N/A”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
"MEA" sounds like 'me' and "CULPA" sounds like 'culprit' – "I am the culprit."
Conceptual Metaphor
MORAL FAILURE IS A WEIGHT TO BE CONFESSED.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the phrase 'mea culpa' LEAST likely to be used naturally?